


Let Not the Left Hand Know

by sesera



Series: Graduation [1]
Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Hair Washing, Hot Springs & Onsen, M/M, Massage, mentions of minors drinking, rei is a bad influence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-03
Updated: 2018-04-03
Packaged: 2019-04-17 21:18:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14197875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sesera/pseuds/sesera
Summary: The third years go on a graduation trip. Some people get drunk, Keito has a dream, and Wataru gets naked.





	Let Not the Left Hand Know

**Author's Note:**

> Written as a collaboration with artist [accelastar](https://twitter.com/accelastar) for the [Infinity Ensemble Stars rare pairing zine](https://enstarsrarepairzine.tumblr.com/)!

Keito woke with a start, images of long pale hair flashing through his mind. It was dark, the room filled with the sounds of snoring classmates. The only light came from the moon filtering in through the paper-screened windows.

 

 _Seriously?_ he thought, rubbing his eyes. Now the headache was back, after he’d finally managed to get to sleep considering the events of the day. It was the first day of the third years’ joint graduation trip, and it had been utter chaos so far. They’d come to Nikko and Tsukinaga had been running wild all over Toshogu Shrine, with Sena only barely managing to stop him from scribbling all over the shrine walls as a livid Mr. Kunugi lectured him on respecting historical monuments. But that had only been the beginnings of Keito’s headache, exacerbated--of course, as always--by Hibiki pulling roses out of nowhere and scattering them all over the stone pathways dotting the shrine grounds, with Eichi chuckling indulgently behind him and yet also not doing anything about them.

 

Then Shinkai had tried to strip and climb into a sacred pond on the grounds, which considering it was March and freezing was a very bad idea, and while Morisaki had restrained him, it had been a close call and he spent the rest of the time sulking. Meanwhile Hakaze was trying to chat up groups of visiting schoolgirls and when one had turned out to be an extremely pretty boy instead, he hadn’t taken it well.

 

At long last they’d returned to the traditional Japanese inn they were staying at (3A all in one tatami mat room with futons, 3B in another) and Keito had finally thought he could have a nice dinner, a bath, and relax, only for Sakuma to pull out cans of alcohol (who even knows how he’d gotten them) and immediately start drinking. Once Nito and Kiryu joined him, it had all gone downhill very fast, since most of them had never tasted any alcohol before and had no idea how to handle themselves. Hibiki had handed him an energy drink, which Keito had accepted out of desperation only to realize later that Hibiki had spiked it with something. Fortunately, all it did was make Keito pass out as the party raged on around him. Eichi had claimed a futon closest to the wall, so Keito had chosen the one next to his as the safest bet.

 

So it was with a shock when he rolled over only to find himself face to face with Hibiki of all people asleep on the futon next to his, his long, flowing hair completely undone and fanning out loose all over his pillow and sheets and-- _oh my god_ \--spilling over onto Keito’s pillow and sheets as well. _What the hell is he even doing in this room? This is for 3A only!_ Of course, Keito wasn’t about to wake him up to ask. Chances were Eichi had allowed it; he was always too lenient with him. Carefully brushing some of the hair away from his own bed--noticing how unexpectedly silky and soft it was as he did, but restraining the odd urge to continue touching it--Keito suppressed a groan. Of _course_ he’d had a dream like that about Hibiki of all people if they’d been sleeping this close together without him even knowing it.

It had been a dream of another life. He and--he and _Hibiki_ had shared everything, had had a home filled with doves and glasses and masks and shamisens. But it was a dangerous time, with the government taking people away for no reason at all. One day they had come for Hibiki, and the anguish had been terrible. In this life Keito was utterly devoted to him, and couldn’t bear his loss. It had been--awful.

 

Keito was shocked to find drying tears at the corners of his eyes. The desperate emotions from the dream still hadn’t left him, and he found himself studying Hibiki’s face as he slept. He tried to avoid looking at him when he was awake and causing his usual commotion, but now that he could really observe him, it was hard not to be aware of how beautiful his features were. Again Keito felt to urge to run his fingers through that long hair.

 

Keito fumbled for his glasses. To his surprise, they were neatly folded next to his pillow. _That’s odd. I don’t remember taking them off before passing out last night_. Frowning, he reached for his phone to check the time. 4:56 a.m. Much too early; breakfast didn’t start until 7:30.

 

He darted another irrationally accusatory glance at Hibiki. _What in the hell was that dream?_ Hibiki was probably the one person in the world he would never, ever think of in that way. He was just too ridiculous and over the top at all times. But… the lingering reverberations were still with him, and he couldn’t stop thinking about the images from the dream. There had been times when they had held each other so close, lost in passion for each other--

 

No, no. This was a very bad line of thought.

 

His phone was still in his hand. He pulled up Google and began typing in things he would definitely be remembering to delete from the history later in case anyone somehow accessed his account: _romantic dream about my best friend’s friend_ and _dream of being in love with someone I hate_.

 

He did not feel comforted browsing the results. The articles he found seemed to indicate that despite all his best efforts to avoid Hibiki and thinking about him at all times, he might in fact have strong feelings--of some sort--towards him. At the very least, dreaming of Hibiki could suggest that he possessed a quality of some sort that Keito himself lacked and admired.

 

 _Ridiculous_ , Keito thought, sighing as he tossed his phone aside. As he did, he realized Hibiki was looking at him and their eyes met. A panicky jolt ran through Keito’s body as he wondered how long Hibiki had been awake and if he’d managed to see the phone screen at all.

 

But Hibiki was oddly calm. He got up and headed for the door to the room, looking back to Keito and motioning for him to follow.

 

Keito was too shaken to refuse.

 

-

 

Hibiki led them to the baths of the traditional Japanese hotel, pushing aside the blue curtain at the entrance to the men’s side. As they undressed in the empty changing area--the whole baths area seemed to be completely deserted considering the early hour--Keito felt unnerved by the silence. He wasn’t used to silence when he was with Hibiki, and even though he always complained about Hibiki’s loud antics, considering the thoughts running through his mind he now wished for something to distract him.

 

Mostly to break the silence, Keito grumbled, “I thought you’d be louder in the mornings.”

 

Hibiki looked over at him with interest, his yukata mostly undone and falling off his hips. Hibiki really had a lot more muscles than he would have guessed... Keito was beginning to regret remembering to grab his anti-fog glasses before leaving the room. Being blind might actually be better around an increasingly and distressingly naked Hibiki.

 

“Oh? Well, the truth is, I’m simply too surprised by the fact that you joined me to be as talkative as usual, Right Hand Man!” His tone was cheerful, but he was obviously a little caught off guard too. “I simply thought it would be rude not to invite you considering you were awake as well, but never did I imagine you’d actually come with me. You do usually avoid me, you know.”

 

“I thought you liked to be surprised,” Keito muttered, then realized that really wasn’t what he wanted to say. His face felt warm. “And I was up anyway.” He strode off into the baths area. Maybe the hot water would clear his head.

 

He was seated in front of a space with taps and a shower washing himself with soap when Hibiki came in, his footsteps echoing across the otherwise empty space. Keito hadn’t noticed anyone in the outdoor baths either, so they were really alone in here. _Was this really a good idea? Is it too late to just leave? No, I’m already here, I might as well just have a quick soak and then go..._

 

Then Hibiki sat down right next to him at the adjoining station, and Keito’s mind went blank. His hair cascaded over his shoulders, and Keito found himself stealing fascinated glances as Wataru took the handheld showerhead and used it to completely wet his hair. Then he pumped an astounding amount of shampoo from the dispenser into his hands before starting to massage it into his hair. Keito wondered how long it was going to take him to shampoo all that hair, and if he did this every single day…

 

Naturally, Hibiki caught him looking and gave him an amused sidelong glance, his hands in his frothy wet hair. “Right Hand Man, you seem quite interested in my hair?”

 

Keito flushed and looked away. He was still formulating a plausible excuse when Hibiki said, “You know, sometimes I have such a hard time washing all of this hair. Ah, if only there was someone reliable and helpful around who wouldn’t mind helping me…” He trailed off suggestively, then darted a pleading look at Keito, batting his eyelashes.

 

Keito sighed. _Why was Hibiki always so…_ “Incorrigible,” he muttered, and while he knew his weakness to people in need of help (however exaggerated) was being shamelessly exploited, Hibiki had still managed to catch him good. He brought his stool over to sit behind that mass of long, soapy hair. “Fine. I’ll help. What do you want me to do?”

 

Their eyes met in the mirror, and he was shocked to see Hibiki’s eyes were wide and his face a bit pink. _Oh. Did he not expect me to do this either? Damn that dream…_

 

Finally, Hibiki answered, his voice a bit strained. “Ah, please focus on the ends and massage the shampoo into every strand. Then we’ll rinse it out.” Hibiki himself was shampooing his scalp, so Keito--reached out and began to run his fingers through the hair covering his back, spreading the shampoo evenly through it as it lathered up even more in his hands. The strands were just as soft and silky as he remembered from when he’d accidentally brushed against them earlier, and the touch was addictive.

 

It was true that Keito was--despite himself--fascinated by Hibiki’s hair, and he couldn’t believe he was actually touching it. He wondered if even Eichi ever had. Occasionally his fingers would brush Hibiki’s back. It occurred to him how ridiculously intimate this all was, and he started to feel overwhelmed. _What am I even doing?_

 

“There, Keito-kun, I think that’s good,” Hibiki said airily, using yet another one of his favorite names for Keito, and he picked up the showerhead again to begin rinsing the shampoo out. “I don’t suppose you’d want to massage my shoulders while I do this? After our long day yesterday, they’re so sore, and the transfer student did tell me that you’re interested in that sort of thing. She said you’re very good at it!”

 

It was true that Keito and the transfer student had discussed relaxation massage techniques and he had begun trying them out on himself, but how the hell did Hibiki know that... although considering the other boy’s sharp hearing (almost as good as Keito’s himself) it would probably be more surprising if there were things he _hadn’t_ overheard.

 

“Incorrigible,” Keito said again, but before he knew it he was reaching out and digging his thumbs into the wet skin of Hibiki’s shoulders, squeezing the muscles there and rubbing his fingers in circles deep into the tissue the way he’d been learning about. He was shocked to discover Hibiki’s shoulders were just as tight as his always were. _What does_ he _have to worry about?_ Keito wondered. The muscle tension seemed in stark contrast to the way Hibiki always floated and flitted around, leaving rose petals and dove feathers in his wake.

 

Maybe Hibiki had his own worries too. It was so simple, and yet the realization shook Keito to the core.

 

What else had he underestimated about him?

 

Lost in thought, he had forgotten himself and was just getting into a particularly tight knot he’d found when Hibiki let out a shockingly loud, low--well, _moan_ was really the only word for it, and considering the open space they were in, it echoed along the walls.

 

_“AH!”_

 

Hibiki made sounds like that a lot, but they were always clearly exaggerated for effect. This one felt--real. It felt like he hadn’t intended to make that noise, and Keito felt equally like he shouldn’t have heard it. His face face flushed at the intensity of the sound, and at the fact that it had been triggered by his own touch. He quickly moved away from Hibiki. “I-I need to wash my own hair!” he said, hastily going back over to his own station.

 

“No, no, Keito-kun, where are you going? I must return the favor, you know!” Hibiki said, his hair washed clean now. His cheeks were pink, his eyes bright. It was strange to see him with his hair wet and down over one shoulder. He stood up--Keito strove valiantly _not_ to look down--and pressed his hands on Keito’s shoulders with irritatingly effective force until Keito was sitting down in front of his mirror. All of a sudden things were happening very fast, with typical Hibiki hyper attentiveness. He had gone into hospitality mode, his hands and even the tips of his hair moving at light speed. Keito half expected a plate of cookies and snacks and an entire pot of tea to pop out of virtually nowhere as usually happened when he was like this. Instead, Keito found himself closing his eyes in sheer pleasure as Hibiki’s fingers began to massage shampoo into his hair.

 

Keito lived in a Buddhist temple and he had been raised in that tradition. He was strict on himself and those around him. He rarely indulged in anything just to feel good--even his art and his archery practice were more about gaining a mental satisfaction than anything physical. Self-denial was his way of life.

 

As a result, he quickly realized he was incredibly, embarrassingly weak to physical sensations. Especially, as it turned out, those that resulted from another person touching him. He got regular haircuts which included a shampoo, of course, but it turned out there was a huge difference between a disinterested third party and a classmate who for some reason had always been strangely interested in him and was now touching him so intently Keito almost couldn’t bear it. Maybe it was his imagination, but there was a--fondness in how slowly and deliberately Hibiki was moving his fingers through Keito’s hair and dragging them along his scalp, and it was now Keito’s turn to try very hard not to let out a moan as Hibiki had.

 

When Hibiki moved his hands down to Keito’s neck and shoulders, Keito couldn’t resist closing his eyes and letting his head fall forward, which meant Hibiki could dig in to the tight muscles there even better. He was really, terribly good at this. One of the things that irritated Keito the most about Hibiki was how he was a master at everything he did, seemingly instantly. Keito was used to putting in hours--sometimes years--of work and discipline before he could consider himself proficient in something. But dance, singing, acting, magic, even handling animals and birds--Hibiki could do anything effortlessly, and it galled somewhere deep in Keito every time. Despite his resentment, though, he found it impossible to deny how perfectly and beautifully Hibiki executed all of those things, and he always found himself rapt with admiration in the end. How many times had he come to watch Eichi in a fine performance, only to find himself unable to take his eyes off Hibiki instead?

 

Then Hibiki successfully loosened a tight knot right at the base of Keito’s neck, and he couldn’t hold back a groan of release. Instantly he screwed his eyes shut tight, feeling a flush creep across his face. Because his eyes were closed, he didn’t see the look of true surprise on Hibiki’s face, reflected in the mirror.

 

All too soon, though, he could practically hear the smile in Hibiki’s voice as he said, “Oh? Do my fingers feel that good, Keito-kun?”

 

The flush felt even hotter now. “Shut up,” was all he could manage, but he no longer had the willpower to tell Hibiki to stop or pull away. Not when it felt this good and he suddenly somehow needed it so badly. And Hibiki obliged, massaging his neck, shoulders, and scalp with that frustrating but wonderfully perfect technique, until he felt completely unwound.

 

When it was finished, Keito muttered, “Thank you,” stood up, and immediately headed to the baths to sink deep into the hot water. Hibiki had turned back to his own mirror to finish rinsing himself off, and Keito couldn’t help but watch the way the water slid down the back of his neck, trailing all along his back. As Hibiki lifted up the full mass of his hair to pin it into a messy bun on top of his head in preparation for getting into the baths, Keito found himself terribly distracted by the regrettably beautiful curve of his neck. He finally forced himself to look away before Hibiki noticed, but had a sinking sensation that the other boy would continue to be very distracting to him for entirely new reasons now.

 

 

-

  
After the baths, clad in fresh yukata, Keito and Hibiki joined the rest of the third years in the inn’s communal dining hall for breakfast. Despite how wild things had gotten the night before, a good two-thirds of the graduating class had actually managed to get up and come down to breakfast. As they sat down, Eichi noticed Keito’s wet hair.

 

“Oh? I wondered where you were this morning, Keito. Did the baths manage to relax you?” he said.

 

As Keito dished up some steaming white rice into his bowl, he grumbled, “Yes, but I have no doubt all the stress will come rushing back once we’re back at school. It’s almost graduation and I have a mountain of paperwork waiting for me back in the student council room. I’ll need to stock up on more energy drinks. Ridiculous.”

 

“You know, Right Hand Man,” Hibiki piped up, and did his voice crack? No, surely that was just Keito’s imagination. “You’re welcome to my rainbow gelatin anytime you might need it. It’s my own special recipe that’s ten times stronger than whatever’s in those cans you’re always drinking. Do feel free to come by the theatre club room whenever you so desire!” The vocal flourishes were the same as always, but at the same time he seemed a little more unsure of himself than usual.

 

It was definitely the weakened state he was in after the dream, the massage, and the hot bath, but Keito actually felt touched by the offer. He could feel the corners of his eyes crinkle up as he said, “Maybe I will sometime.”

 

It must have been the honest answer that shocked Hibiki, because his eyes widened for one short moment, cheeks going pink. Then he recovered, and began going on about how it was about time some of the rice crackers and _ryokucha_ green tea he had stocked specifically for Keito ever since earlier in the year started to get some use.

 

“You are, of course, welcome anytime, my dear Right Hand Man!” Hibiki finished with a sweeping hand gesture and-- _unbelievable_ \--a wink.

 

“Enough, I said I’ll come. Why are you so ridiculous all the time?” Keito muttered, studiously mixing his poached egg in soy sauce with his bowl of rice.

 

Eichi looked between the two of them thoughtfully before letting out a little laugh. “You two really are interesting.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much to the [Infinity zine](https://enstarsrarepairzine.tumblr.com/) for the opportunity to participate! I am always yelling [on Twitter](https://twitter.com/seriesera) about Wataru/Keito, so this was truly a labor of love. If at least one person looks at our work and thinks twice about this pairing, I’ll be so happy. Please love Wataru/Keito as we do! And thank you to the zine organizers for all your hard work and for giving us this platform. ([Link to just the art to RT here](https://twitter.com/accelastar/status/980948452069855232))
> 
> However, the hardest thing about creating this work--for both me and my artist--was the fact that it had to be all ages, which means NO SEX. sigh... we love smut... so there will be an R-rated sequel at some point. I added this to a series, so you can subscribe to that if you want to be notified when I post the sequel. (In the meantime, if you haven't already read it, please check out our other Wataru/Keito collaboration fic+art which IS R-rated... [HERE](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10929978)!)
> 
> Anyway, thank you for reading! Please leave a comment if you liked it. Authors live for comments!


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